You Gave Me The Answer - Walking in the Park with Eloise

It’s one of the lesser-known songs from the Wings catalogue (perhaps because it wasn’t technically released by ‘Wings’) but certainly one that has a heartwarming story behind it… ‘Walking in the Park with Eloise’ was recorded 50 years ago this October!

A fan favourite, the song started off its life as a composition by Paul’s dad, Jim McCartney, but was recorded and released in 1974 by ‘The Country Hams’. The song has appeared a handful of times through the years, most notably on the Venus and Mars Archive Collection release in 2014. In 2016, an orchestral rendition was recorded for the film Ethel & Earnest, and this version was also recently included in The 7” Singles Box. 

The song has an emotional resonance with Paul: it was a selection for ‘Desert Island Discs’ in 1982 where he commented his dad had ‘only ever write one song, to my knowledge’. 

So, to celebrate 50 years since the original studio version was created, we found the perfect question from Harry on Facebook…

Harry on Facebook: What was your dad's reaction to you and Wings recording ‘Walking in the Park with Eloise’?

Paul: Oh, he loved it. He really loved it. He wouldn't ever admit he'd ‘written’ it. He said it was just a piece he played on the piano that he'd ‘made up’. And I said, ‘Well, we call that writing these days!’ I think he meant that he didn’t physically write something out in notation. 

The recording of the song happened when I was in Nashville. I mentioned it to Chet Atkins and he said, ‘We should record that for your dad!’ So, it was Chet’s idea. We got a couple of guys together and recorded it. Then I played it to dad, who was very happy to hear the tune he ‘didn't write’.

PaulMcCartney.com: Was it something that he'd played for many years?

Paul: Yeah, it was just something that he’d made up on our piano. He usually played all the ‘old standards’, that's why I've got such a rich background knowledge of them. He never read any music, it was all by ear. I think it all sunk in when I was little, before I could even reach the piano! 

It gave me an interest in those kinds of songs. I'd hear Fred Astaire’s stuff on the TV or radio - [singing] ‘Heaven, I'm in Heaven!’ And I would learn to appreciate the skill made in making that song. I figured out how he’d done it, what tricks he used. A lot of my music education was just that, hearing tricks that other composers had used and thinking, ‘Oh, I love that. I'll do it too’. For instance, the song ‘Bésame Mucho’ starts off in a minor key and goes into a major. What a great trick!

PM.com: You mentioned that ‘Walking in the Park with Eloise’ was recorded in Nashville. We’ve visited the Loveless Café there, where there’s a sign advertising ‘Country Hams’. Is this where the inspiration for the band name ‘The Country Hams’ came from?

Paul: Yeah, exactly. And that parking lot is where I met up with Chet Atkins and Jerry Reed. We went and ate there – I seem to remember the peach preserve was their speciality.

PM.com: What a nice piece of music history! There should be a little plaque in the car park.

Paul: ‘This is where Paul met Jerry and Chet!’

Happy birthday, ‘Walking in the Park with Eloise’! You can read more about Paul’s early music education and his dad’s influence in You Gave Me The Answer – One Hand Clapping Special!

Have you got a question you’d like to ask Paul? Post it on the Paul McCartney Official Fan Group on Facebook, and yours might be chosen for a future ‘You Gave Me The Answer’ Q&A.